Crash course: Robert Covington’s introduction to Hakeem Olajuwon

Chasing a loose ball as it sailed out of bounds, Rockets rookie Robert Covington did not slow down to consider anything or – more to the point as he would soon learn – anyone in his path.

He just dove for the ball, crashing into the bench. As he got to his feet, he looked to his right to see a fallen Marcus Camby and to his left to see a plastered Hakeem Olajuwon, who had crashed hard to the Toyota Center concrete.

“Hey rook, you tried to take me out,” Camby shouted after the practice, sounding very much as if he planned some rookie initiation comeuppance.

“The Dream,” Dwight Howard shouted, “was dreaming.”

Covington, however, said he did not see basketball royalty in his path until it was too late.

“It was just one of those hustle plays, trying to make a play for my team,” Covington said. “One of the guys pushed me, gave me a little momentum. It’s just a hustle play, trying to show the coaches, even though it’s just a loose ball, I’ll give everything. The play is not done.

“I did see when I got up it was Hakeem. “I was like, ‘Oh, I didn’t want to do that, be the rook that took him out.’ He told me ‘good job, good hustle.’ “

Rockets owner Leslie Alexander and general manager Daryl Morey, watching from the either side of the floor, just smiled.